Downtown Restaurant: the cosmopolitan New York buffet

You have four ways to book. The easiest is the official Disneyland Paris app ("Dining" section), from your Disney account. You can also call the booking line on +33 (0)1 60 30 40 50, use the official website via the Dining menu or book on site at City Hall, Studio Services or your Disney hotel’s concierge desk. Before you choose, I suggest downloading my free file by email, which brings together all the menus of the Disneyland Paris restaurants. It really helps you make up your mind.

It depends on how you’re visiting. If you’re staying in a Disney hotel, you can book up to 1 year ahead, as soon as your stay is confirmed: a real advantage for the most popular restaurants like the Auberge de Cendrillon or the character buffets. If you’re coming for the day, without a Disney hotel, you can book up to 2 months (60 days) ahead. You can book in the Disneyland Paris app, on the official website or by phone on +33 (0)1 60 30 40 50. My advice: book as soon as the window opens for character restaurants and for evenings at weekends or during French school holidays, otherwise the slots disappear fast.

Yes, it’s possible but not guaranteed. Some restaurants run a "walk-in queue" depending on the tables freed up during the day. Go to the restaurant’s reception desk and ask if there’s any room left. The mobile app also shows slots that open up in real time (last-minute cancellations), and I check it regularly when I’m after a last-minute table. Otherwise, fall back on the quick-service counters and snack stands, which never need a booking. Tip: eating lunch at an off-peak time (before 12:00 or after 14:00) greatly improves your chances of finding a table without booking.

You can cancel easily in the official Disneyland Paris mobile app. Go to "Account > My table reservations", select the booking and confirm the cancellation. You can also cancel by phone on +33 (0)1 60 30 40 50. Remember to cancel as soon as you know you won’t make it: it frees up a table for other visitors and is a nice thing to do. Important: you can’t change the time or the number of diners directly in the app. If you need to change it, you have two options: cancel and make a new booking (if slots are still available), or call the reservations centre on +33 (0)1 60 30 40 50.

Yes, when you book (app, phone or website), there’s a "Special request" field where you can make several requests. You can mention a high chair for a baby, a birthday cake (at an extra cost) or a food intolerance or allergy. You can also say that you want to use your half-board plan. For the birthday cake, I’d advise mentioning it as soon as you book to be sure one is available. If you didn’t, you can also ask directly when you arrive at the restaurant, and they’ll try to sort something out depending on what they have in stock that day.